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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22870297">In The Dark</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dollalpaca/pseuds/dollalpaca'>dollalpaca</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Vampyr AU [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RuPaul's Drag Race RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Enemies to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Lesbian AU, Slow Burn, host brooke, pretty sure they try to kill each other at the beginning, rating might go up as chapters pass, scyvie enemies to allies to friends to lovers, there's some platonic brookexyvie bc ofc there is, vampire vanessa, vampyr au, will add queens as they appear</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:54:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,918</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22870297</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dollalpaca/pseuds/dollalpaca</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Brooke is clanless, bastard witch that was given up to the Mateos, an ancient vampire clan, to solve a debt when she was a baby. After a series of strange events, Brooke decides to find out about her past behind the Mateo's back. The search for her identity takes a dangerous turn when she discovers the Mateo's have a skeleton or two hidden in the closet.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Brooke Lynn Hytes/Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, Scarlet Envy/Yvie Oddly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Vampyr AU [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1529708</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>53</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Nightmares</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>IT'S HERE IT'S HERE IT'S HERE!!!! I've been planning this story for MONTHS, y'all have no idea. I'm so excited to finally start posting, after teasing it for months on my tumblr. I'm in love with this universe and every little detail I've developed. Please be gentle with my baby. Comments are very much welcome and asked for!</p><p>Frey forever has my heart for beta-ing this. I love you, darling.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Brooke stood in front of the entrance doors, gathering the courage to reach for the handle and open them, but she felt paralyzed by the fear. It would be the first time she went out since she was a Hostess, and despite now having her master’s possession mark, she feared what she would find behind those doors once she left the safety of the Mateo Castle.</p><p>The blonde knew through some other Hosts that the creatures from the Underground used to be hostile towards them, usually trying to attack them in the middle of the street or harassing them wherever they went. Not even a possession mark could stop them — due to that, the Hosts rarely went out if they weren’t accompanied by their masters.</p><p>But Brooke didn’t have any clue where on Earth was Vanessa, and besides, she used to have a life before… well, <em>this</em>. She had friends she hadn’t seen in months, shops she loved to visit, places she hung out at with said friends and all that jazz. She shouldn’t be so worried about the outside world — she was exactly the same as she was before.</p><p>“<em>C’mon, Brooke, you can do this</em>...” she thought, pulling the handle and taking a minute to breath before she was outside.</p><p>Everything was the same: the pale light coming from the lanterns, the smell of smoke and death, creatures of the night coming and going, not stopping to look at her — by the look of it, she didn’t have anything to fear.</p><p>Brooke took one step, then another, until she was wandering in the streets with no final destination and lost in her thoughts.</p><p>She arrived at the Black Magic Market without even noticing, only snapping off her trance when a woman offered her a white rabbit by practically shoving it in her face.</p><p>Brooke had visited the Black Magic Market before; the Matriarch had taken her there on her fifth birthday, when Brooke asked why her fangs didn’t appear like it happened with the rest of the little vampires of the clan.</p><p> “You see, Brooke, the truth is you’re not really a vampire; you’re a witch, just like these people.” She motioned to the creatures around them. “Your mother gave you to us because...” The Matriarch doubted for a moment, but sighed in the end. “Well, she owed us a favor and couldn’t afford the payment.”</p><p>The little blonde frowned, feeling an itch in her fingers when they passed a woman selling all kinds of magical artifacts.</p><p>“Where’s my mama then?” Brooke wondered, looking everywhere in amusement, feeling a strange connection with every object.</p><p>The Matriarch shrugged. “We haven’t had any contact with her in years.”</p><p>Brooke stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a strange necklace in a woman’s stand, she couldn’t explain why or how, but she felt as if it belonged to her. She wanted to reach for it and place it around her neck, but she knew she wasn’t allowed to have or ask for any other gift; aunt Valeria had gifted her a stuffed bunny in the name of the whole clan, meaning she couldn’t ask for anything else — still, a voice inside her was whispering to just take it and run, run so fast that the Matriarch wouldn’t catch her, to head where the sun goes to die and...</p><p>Brooke felt overwhelmed by the sudden memory, shaking her head to try to stop it. She turned on her heel and tried to remember the way back to the castle, when she felt a tap on her shoulder.</p><p>“Brooke?” The blonde turned around and when she saw her good friend Yvie Oddly, she couldn’t help but smile. “Bloody hell, it is you! I thought your master had already drained you!” Yvie pulled her into a hug, happy to see her. Brooke reciprocated  within a minute.</p><p>“Surprisingly, my master is… She’s good. Yeah,” she admitted with a small smile, breaking the embrace. “How are you, anyway? It’s been a long time,” Brooke questioned, beginning to walk next to Yvie, who had a big basket full of all kinds of items.</p><p>“Pretty good, I guess.” She shrugged. “My shop’s going well, family’s alright...” Yvie was in silence for a moment, before she rolled her eyes with a groan. “But this fucking vampire I met the other day at Shuga’s, ugh, I feel like she’s following me, y’know? Wherever I go, she’s always <em>there — </em>I wanna beat her undead ass so badly,” Yvie complained, earning a laugh from Brooke.</p><p>“Who’s this vampire? Anyone I know?” Brooke inquired with an amused smile.</p><p>“Bitch, I <em>wish</em> it was a Mateo, I really do.” Yvie looked around and then came closer to Brooke’s ear. “It’s Scarlet Envy.”</p><p>The blonde gasped, completely surprised.</p><p>“Oh Yvie, no, you can’t get in trouble with an <em>Envy</em>, let alone the heiress of the clan! Don’t you remember you’re an <em>Oddly</em>?” Brooke scolded, Yvie groaned; she knew her friend was right.</p><p>The Oddlys and Envys were two of the most ancient clans in the Underground — and the biggest enemies since the beginning of time. It was said that Damien Envy, first Master of the clan, killed Zulema Oddly’s firstborn; the reason behind the Matriarch’s accusations were that Damien was the only vampire in his family —and the Underground for that matter— that fiercely refused to have a Host, and was known to have tricked many creatures to feed off them before.</p><p>Damien naturally denied the accusations, claiming Zulema was insane and probably sacrificed her own baby for some sort of ritual; Zulema, overtook by the rage and pain, killed him in his sleep.</p><p>Ever since then, the families swore to despise each other till the end of times.</p><p>If Yvie ever dared to touch one single strand of Scarlet’s hair, the whole clan would hunt her family down without thinking twice. Being the heiress, she was <em>untouchable</em>, and her family would die for her; quite literally.</p><p>“It’s not like she’s the Matriarch, yet,” Yvie replied, evading the question. “I mean, she’ll take the lead of the clan if that old hag Amaya decides to retire one day — but meanwhile, she’s just another stupid vampire,” she mocked while rolling her eyes.</p><p>“But that doesn’t mean you can go around messing with an Envy just because,” Brooke insisted, “You seem to forget the fact that if Naomi does marry that shape shifter, Kim Chi, you’re the next one in line to rule your family. You don’t plan on going to war with the Envys on your first year as Matriarch, do you?”</p><p>Yvie chewed on her lip. She knew the probabilities of her sister marrying Kim were high up in the sky and she didn’t like that; unlike Naomi, a natural born ruler, Yvie was rather the odd one out — which really was ironic considering their surname.</p><p>If Yvie inherited the clan, it’d inevitably go downhill. She didn’t have leadership skills, let alone the respect of her family. She sighed, trying to change the subject.</p><p>“Anyway, we still have to do something for your 21th birthday, don’t you dare to think we forgot.” Yvie gave her a mischievous smile, and Brooke squealed. </p><p>“Oh yes! The Mateos didn’t do anything for my birthday, just gift me to Vanessa.” She rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t feeling that well on my birthday, anyway. I had a weird feeling in my chest all day, y’know? Like something wasn’t functioning well in my heart.”</p><p>Yvie hummed. “Perhaps it's something related to the clan you’re originally from?” She offered, but Brooke shrugged.</p><p>“I don’t know much about my original family, and honestly I prefer it that way; why would I want to meet the woman that gave me away for some bars of gold and the family that didn’t talk her out of it?” The blonde complained.</p><p>She’d always have that resentment over her unknown clan; they stripped her away of her original destiny and left her to be vampire's food. Just for the fact that she ended up having a Master as kind as Vanessa didn’t mean she was any less bitter.</p><p>Yvie sighed, patting her friend on the shoulder.</p><p>“I know, Blondie, I know. Just let it all out.”</p><p>The witches carried on with their conversation, unaware of a pair of icy eyes following every move they made.</p><p>*</p><p>It was well past midnight when Brooke was awoken by a noise in the hallway. She rummaged through her nightstand and found a candle and a match. Lightning it, she stepped outside her room, deciding to find the origin of the noise. </p><p>There was a baby crying somewhere, but she couldn’t find where. She was walking down a dark hallway, with the only light coming from the candle she was holding.</p><p>It was strange, she thought; nobody in the clan was pregnant, or so she knew. Perhaps it was another abandoned baby that’d grow up to be a Host? A chill ran down her back, desperately wanting to get ahold of the little creature and protect them from their destiny.</p><p>The more Brooke tried to run, the more it looked like she was stuck running in circles. She was about to give up, when suddenly, she heard a laugh behind her. She turned around and almost jumped off her skin when she noticed the baby stroller behind her, illuminated by a single light.</p><p>Brooke took a step forward, peeking into the stroller, and she couldn’t help but smile at the baby looking back at her, with their giant blue eyes full of innocence and curiosity. With her free hand, she tried to reach for the baby, but she was stopped when the stroller was pulled back by someone else.                                                                       </p><p>“<em>Are you sure about this? You know you won’t be able to get her back</em>,” a familiar voice spoke. Brooke frowned, what was the Matriarch doing there and what was she talking about?</p><p>Before she could ask anything, there were inaudible whispers echoing in the walls. The Matriarch hummed.</p><p>“<em>Then so be it</em>.”</p><p>A sudden cold breeze hit her, and when she tried to brace herself against it, she felt a hand wrapped around her ankle, a scream of fear left her lips as she dropped the candle, accidentally falling in her left foot. Another scream of pain arrived, but it was muffled because of the ground; she’d fallen flat in her face.</p><p>“No! Let me go!” She pleaded, but with each scream, the stranger dragged her with more strength.</p><p>Brooke dug her nails in the floor, feeling them crack under the pressure — it would probably leave a bloody mess that’d attract some vampires.</p><p>She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling dizzy and completely hopeless. How in hell had she ended up like that?</p><p>The blonde felt a hand on her shoulder that violently dug their nails into her flesh.</p><p>“Brooke?” The witch snapped her eyes open when she heard that voice. <em>Vanessa</em>. “What are you doing?” Her master inquired with worry while holding a torch, and Brooke took advantage of the light to look around.</p><p>She was at the very end of the West Side of the Mateo Castle, where the Hosts usually lived. Almost immediately she looked at her hands; they were milky white as always, without a single scratch. She was about to relax and dismiss everything as a dream when she noticed the flying objects around them; paintings, parts of antique armors, mundane decorations, etc.</p><p>“Am I doing that?” She questioned, afraid of the answer. Vanessa cocked a brow. </p><p>“You tryin’ to tell me you didn’t know you was making these shits fly? Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re the only witch livin’ in this side of the castle.”</p><p>Brooke bit her lower lip, the objects around them falling loudly to the ground as embarrassment washed over. Sometimes she forgot she was a witch; after never having learned a single spell or potion recipe, she guessed her magic was asleep and would never manifest. </p><p>“I’m sorry, Master,” the blonde apologized, and Vanessa loosened her grip on her shoulder, now stroking it gently.</p><p>“It’s okay, darling. It’s not your fault not knowing’ how to control your powers,” Vanessa reassured her, placing a hand behind her back and making her begin to walk next to her. “Care to tell me what happened?”</p><p>Brooke breathed in hard, as she heard the cries of that baby in her head and the words of the Matriarch replayed in her mind.</p><p>“I had a nightmare, and I guess I’m a sleepwalker. Funny combo, huh?”</p><p>But the heat in her left foot and the finger marks she found the next day on her left foot made Brooke realise it couldn’t have been just a dream.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Foreigner</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hello my dudes! thanks for the love on the first chapter :) i hope you like it, if you can i'd love if you gave me some feedback! i really enjoy writing this world ❤</p><p>as always, thanks to frey for beta-ing!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Is there any chance you know an oneiric witch?” Brooke wondered looking through Yvie’s little potion shop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The grey-haired witch looked up from her notebook, cocking a brow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think my cousins Brenna and Iza are oneiric. Why? Do you have a trouble with a sleep demon? If so, you know we can ask Shuga for some help,” Yvie replied, setting her notebook aside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oneiric witches were usually called when low range sleep demons were haunting creatures in their sleep, to read one's dreams, predict the future, or do astral charts. They were usually found in the human world - humans loved that kind of things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brooke looked back at Yvie, trying to ignore the burning pain in her left foot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just wanted to know if she could tell me the meaning of a dream I’ve had. It was… Weird, to say the least,” she confessed. Although she knew she could trust Yvie with everything, she wasn’t sure about letting her on that just now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, sure, I think Brenna has a shop in the human world, and Iza one near our family’s territory. I’ll ask her and I’ll let you know,” Yvie assured, looking back at her notebook. “What was this dream about?” She inquired, not paying much attention to Brooke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brooke was distractedly looking through Yvie’s shelves, when she came across a frozen heart, which against all odds was beating. She scrunched up her face, unconsciously placing a hand over her chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something about Vanessa and a baby,” Brooke lied seamlessly. She tried to change the topic almost immediately. “Whose heart is this, by the way?” She pointed at the jar and Yvie looked up again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yvie scratched her cheek with her pen, trying to remember where she’d acquired it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A witch from the North, I think. The guy that sold it to me said she was a traitor to her clan or something like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brooke whistled. “Wild.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yvie shrugged. “It’s the North, what did you expect?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vanessa and Scarlet had been close for the better part of their lives, and by the moment they both had their first century, they considered each other more than casual friends. But despite all of this, Vanessa absolutely couldn’t stand Scarlet when it came to collaborating. They were both hot headed and controlling, a perfect recipe for chaos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vanessa’s little sister, Rose, was going to get married to one of Scarlet’s cousins, Frank, therefore uniting the Mateos and the Envys. Everyone was saing it’d be the wedding of the century, and they planned on living up to those expectations.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it meant they had to work side by side, and while Scarlet looked like a reasonable, relaxed creature, she was the epitome of stubborness, constantly contradicting Vanessa on any decision — the sole reason Vanessa hadn’t ripped Scarlet’s neck off with her fangs, was that she was her friend, and also she didn’t want the redhead’s clan hunting her or her family down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To be honest, most of the Mateos didn’t approve of the union between Rose and Frank for the fact that having an alliance with the Envys was a rose with many thorns — they’d protect the Mateos as their own, as long as they did as they said without thinking it twice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Good thing Amaya would soon step down as the Matriarch, and Scarlet would rise; Scarlet was more flexible and compassionate… Well, at least so Vanessa thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ever since she began with her training to be the next ruler of the clan, Scarlet had changed, but Vanessa didn’t quite figure out yet if in a good or bad way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y’know, I’m starving,” Scarlet commented once they were done with their duties for the day. “Do you wanna go to Shuga's? My treat,” the redhead offered, and Vanessa was about to accept, when she remembered about Brooke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t, I have a Hostess now, you know that.” Scarlet clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Geez, I don’t know why your clan still uses that old tradition, but to each their own, I guess. Can you at least come with me?” The redhead requested, already getting impatient.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They made their way to Shuga’s bar in the blink of an eye, mostly talking about the wedding and how annoying their families could be sometimes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vanessa was telling Scarlet an anecdote about her and Rose when she felt the possession mark in her hand tingle and exude a faint light. She frowned. That meant Brooke was close but where?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The closer they came to the bar, the more it tingled and shined; there was no doubt her Hostess was inside. Vanessa frowned, Shuga’s bar wasn’t exactly safe for Brooke’s kind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They barely took a step into the establishment when Vanessa saw Brooke — she was surrounded by five vampires at least, holding on tight to an unknown witch’s hand while her expression was of pure horror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something inside Vanessa just </span>
  <em>
    <span>snapped</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She knew the Hosts were prone to being harassed, she’d seen it many times, but everyone told her that she wouldn’t even care once she saw it happen to her own Host. That wasn’t the case; she wanted to protect Brooke - </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> Brooke - more than anything else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her fangs grew as she made her way towards her Hostess with heavy steps. Once she was closer, she was able to hear some of the obscenities these vampires were saying to her more clearly — they were absolutely disgusting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think your owner would mind if we took a bite,” one of them said, running a finger down her arm. “He might not even mind if we broke your neck, don’t you think? If he lets you hang around here alone, he must know what an attention whore you are.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me,” she said loudly, catching their attention. Brooke’s eyes shined and a sigh of relief escaped her mouth. “Have your mamas never told y’all it’s not good to try to take away someone else’s property?” Vanessa inquired with a condescending tone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They looked at each other with devilish smiles, and one of them approached Vanessa and placed here hand on her shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, we’re sorry, Miss, but if you could understand; we’re hungry and your Hostess—” Vanessa cut her off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> Hostess. Y’all can fuck right off; Shuga literally serves blood for your thirsty asses. Now, leave. My. Hostess. Alone.” She punctuated every word pushing the vampire away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hissed at her, but when she was about to take a step closer, Scarlet appeared behind her, grabbing her wrist and digging her nails into her flesh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen up, sweetheart,” she said, grabbing her by the chin with her free hand. “You heard my friend, leave her Hostess alone. You wouldn’t wanna get in trouble  with the Envys if you didn’t, right?” Scarlet flashed a smile at her before throwing her aside. “Get lost,” she exclaimed, pointing at the other vampires, who didn’t hesitate before grabbing their friend and leaving the bar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brooke sighed in relief, pulling her master for a hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” she breathed out. “I was scared they would— never mind.” Brooke looked away once she broke the hug. Vanessa squeezed her arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s okay. You know I’ll always protect you.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Otherwise I’ll starve while waiting for another Host, and I’m already used to you, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Vanessa wanted to add, but somehow she felt that wouldn’t comfort Brooke, so she left it at that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The blonde smiled shyly, now focusing her gaze on Scarlet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks to you too,” she said, her eyes suddenly growing wide and she looked at the space next to her in the booth. It was empty. “Oh shit.” She muttered under her breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hadn’t noticed Yvie abandoning the place as soon as Scarlet stepped into the picture.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scarlet cocked a brow. “Is there a problem?” She inquired, taking a step closer. Suddenly, she smelled the scent of a witch, and it wasn’t any ordinary witch. “An Oddly was here,” the redhead muttered, sniffing the air. “Yeah, that witch that was with you when we arrived — she was an Oddly!” She said, scandalized.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brooke bit the inside of her cheek. Well, fuck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vanessa looked at her Hostess with her brows knitted together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that true, Brooke?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a sigh, she answered. “It is. B-but Yvie and I have been friends since we were little, actually, way before I found out about yours and hers clan rivalry,” the blonde tried to explain under Scarlet’s scrutinizing gaze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vanessa frowned, squeezing Brooke’s wrist a little too tight for the witch’s liking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why wasn’t I aware of this?” She demanded, but Brooke didn’t understand why she was so upset.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t think it was relevant…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well it is,” Scarlet cut her off, “our clans are going to unite thanks to  the marriage of my cousin to Vanessa’s sister, meaning you can’t maintain any friendly contact with an Oddly </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The expression on Brooke’s face was of pure devastation, and Vanessa thought that was it, but suddenly her eyes glimmered with a confidence she’d never seen before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-well, but they aren’t married yet! So… So I don’t have to follow that rule as long as the wedding hasn’t happened.” Scarlet narrowed her eyes at her, she hated being disobeyed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before the courage washed away, Brooke stepped out the booth, deciding to go find Yvie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Brooke,” Vanessa called, the blonde stopped dead in her tracks, but she didn’t turn back. “Don’t you </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare</span>
  </em>
  <span> go after her. I forbid it,” she said firmly, thinking that’d be enough to make her desist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Brooke resumed her walk, even when her legs were shaking in fear. She always did as she was told, but this time she wasn’t planning on obeying. The blonde loved Yvie as the sister she could’ve had; she'd rather drop dead before losing her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Brooke was out of the bar, Scarlet and Vanessa stood in silence for a moment before realizing the Hostess had actually disobeyed them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That witch,” Scarlet began, processing what just happened. “That witch will be the end of our alliance if you can’t get her to behave.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aside from the fear that arose in Vanessa’s chest on the sole thought of it, there was confusion in her mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’d you know she’s a witch?” She inquired. Vanessa knew witches could recognize each other; it was within their abilities to know, but it was weird when other creatures could notice, unless something gave it away. Besides, she’d never told Scarlet what species her Hostess was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scarlet shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Her scent; she just </span>
  <em>
    <span>smells</span>
  </em>
  <span> like a witch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vanessa never noticed it, she was used to having Brooke around since she was a little girl hiding behind the Matriarch’s back, and now that Scarlet pointed it out, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> smell like a witch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But that couldn’t be — Brooke was a bastard, a clanless witch. Only creatures of the night that belonged to a clan had a distinctive scent, while the clanless bastards had an indecipherable mix.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>*</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yvie’s shop was her little corner of peace. She’d acquired it on her own, not taking a single piece of gold her family offered her to pay for it. Yvie decorated it according to her style, making it feel like home, </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> own home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sat in her armchair and massaged her temples. She hated Scarlet Envy with a burning passion, and seeing her play bossy and threaten those vampires — when she was already casting a spell to disappear with Brooke — just enraged her. So she left, not because she was scared of her, but to spare Brooke the problem that’d come with hanging out with her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t that long ago when they met at Shuga’s bar and had a “little” discussion… If it could be called that after Yvie made several objects in the bar levitate with the purpose of imprisoning Scarlet within them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It all started when Yvie sat down with a few of her friends at the bar, unaware that the creature next to them was a vampire, let alone an Envy. Nina accidentally knocked Scarlet’s glass of blood over her dress, and all hell broke loose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That night, Scarlet left the bar with the promise of ripping off her neck if she ever dared to say a word to her again. Yvie promised to curse her if she found out she’d touched a single strand of hair from any of the creatures that accompanied her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And then, the announcement of the marriage between Rose Mateo and Frank Envy was on everyone’s mouths. When Yvie found out via a costumer, her heart stopped for a moment when she realized it’d probably be the end of her friendship with Brooke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brooke was Vanessa’s property, and by extension, she had to obey the rule of not having any contact with a member of the Oddlys. They’d done the same to the Michaels.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yvie glared at the frozen heart resting mere meters away. Perhaps if she casted a spell…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of the entrance bell snapped her out of her thoughts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, ma’am, we’re closed,” she was quick to say, hopping off her armchair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was another witch, though she had never seen her around. She was covered from head to toe with a black robe, only her face was visible; a pair of piercing blue eyes stared right back at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A chill ran down Yvie’s back. She could swear this woman didn’t mean any good business.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not here for a potion,” she began, a heavy accent giving away the fact she was a foreigner. “I’m here because I’ve been told you have useful information about a bastard witch living in the Mateo’s castle.” Yvie’s alerts were ringing, this couldn’t be good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That depends on who’s asking,” she replied, slowly approaching the counter. She always had something hidden there to defend herself if her magic betrayed her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The foreigner remained expressionless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I come in name of the Matriarch of the Allende Witches,” she explained, but Yvie had no clue who those people were.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not a clan from here, is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Precisely.” She nodded. “We’re from the North-East Underground, and this witch I’m looking for… Let’s just say it’d be better for our family if she </span>
  <em>
    <span>disappeared</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yvie clenched her fists, fearing for her friend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And why, if I can ask, you want her gone? She’s a already bastard.” Yvie ventured to question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The foreigner furrowed her brows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With all due respect, that’s none of your business.” Soon she went back to her expressionless face. “But anyway, going back to the previous topic — I need information about her. I’m willing to pay for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yvie offered her a cynical smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for the offer, but like I said, we’re closed.” She put her foot down, and the stranger clearly didn’t like that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well. If that’s your final word…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And just like she appeared, she left, leaving Yvie completely worried for Brooke.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>if you liked it let me know! hit me up on tumblr @chachkisalpaca for previews of new chapters, edits and all that jazz x</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Oneiric Witch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hi guys!! sorry it's been a literal month since I last updated, I got caught up in the s12 hype. but i'm back! hope you enjoy this chapter, feedback is always welcome! thanks to frey for beta-ing :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A scream died in Brooke’s throat when she abruptly woke up in the middle of the night, her entire body covered in a cold layer of sweat.</p><p>She was scared, but she didn’t know of what. Everything was fine - she was sleeping like a baby until she felt a hand closing around her throat, and a whisper eching through her mind.</p><p>
  <em>Bastard. You’re a bastard.</em>
</p><p>She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling them so, so heavy, and when she opened them again, there was a crib in the middle of her room, illuminated by a circle of candles.</p><p>Brooke wanted to scream, but not a noise would come out from her mouth. She took a deep breath and rose from her bed, walking towards the crib.</p><p>There was a baby peacefully asleep, and Brooke almost cooed, keyword being almost — the baby was <em>frozen</em>. It was covered in ice from head to toe, and the blonde wanted to scream in fear again.</p><p><em>“Lady Victoria, what have you done?” </em>A voice echoed in the silent room, Brooke looked around, but just like last time, she couldn’t find anyone.</p><p>“<em>What it had to be done</em>.” Another voice replied, and as soon as the last echo vanished, so did the crib.</p><p>The blonde blinked repeatedly, her breath accelerating as she blindly tried to look for a candle and something to light it. This time, thankfully, there wasn’t any furniture levitating.</p><p>But she knew she couldn’t postpone visiting Yvie’s cousin any further.</p><p>*</p><p>Brooke stood in front of the shop, gathering the courage to go in.</p><p>After disobeying her master, she’d found Yvie in her shop staring at the ceiling with a confused expression. When she asked her what was wrong, the words spilled out of her mouth like the water flowing in a river.</p><p>Someone from a clan far in the Northeast was looking for her, and they wanted her dead. Upon hearing this, she remembered that weird dream she had, with the Matriarch and the baby stroller. Was this the clan she belonged to? And if so, why would they want her dead? Was it for something her biological mother did?</p><p>Brooke soon brought up the oneiric witch again.</p><p>“Do you think your cousins can look into my past and find out where do I come from?” She wondered. It wasn’t uncommon for oneiric witches to read the future, but looking into the past was an ability a few could do.</p><p>Yvie thought about it. Both Iza and Brenna were powerful without a doubt, but looking into the past…</p><p>“If they can’t, I’m confident they’ll know someone who can,” she replied, hoping her words were true.</p><p>Almost a week had passed by, during which Brooke barely went out, and when she did - she made sure she was always accompanied. She feared what would happen if she wasn’t.</p><p>Until she dreamed about that frozen baby, and she knew she had to visit Iza as soon as possible. Besides, the Oddly’s territory was close to the Mateos’ castle, it wouldn’t be that dangerous to go alone… Or so she hoped.</p><p>She entered the shop holding her breath, and almost instantly a witch appeared in front of her. She was identical to Yvie, except she had long, ebony hair.</p><p>“Welcome, how can I help you?” She inquired with a gentle smile.</p><p>Brooke gulped, trying to form a coherent sentence.</p><p>“My name’s Brooke, your cousin Yvie sent me here,” she began, “I’m— I want to know if you can read dreams.” Iza smiled widely.</p><p>“Of course I can! Come here.” She guided her further into the store, but Brooke stopped in her tracks.</p><p>“And there’s something else. I understand if you can’t, but I… I want to make sure and…” Iza cocked a brow.</p><p>“Breathe, love. I can’t understand what you’re saying.”</p><p>“I want to know if you can also look into someone’s past.” The request made Iza’s expression turn serious, grabbing a nervous Brooke by her wrist and forcefully dragging her into a dark room.</p><p>The brunette made Brooke sit in an armchair, lit a single candle and placed it on a small table in front of the blonde.</p><p>“Now, you listen to me, and listen very carefully,” Iza warned, standing in front of Brooke. “What you just asked me to do is risky, and if it’s done wrong, you can lose <em>all</em> your memories. Do you understand?” Brooke felt paralyzed, but somehow she found the strength to nod. “I have to know before we proceed, why do you want to look in your past? Is there something, or someone you don’t remember? A memory you’d want me to erase? Be clear, my darling.”</p><p>Brooke found her voice again when she thought how her life could be if she found her original clan before that witch put her hands on her. She’d have someone to protect her unconditionally.</p><p>“I’m a Hostess for a vampire called Vanessa Mateo, and I ended up like this because my biological mother gave me away to pay off a debt. But… Lately weird things started happening, and I don’t believe that to be true anymore. I want to find out who am <em>I</em>.”</p><p>Iza narrowed her eyes. “What kind of weird things?” Brooke sighed before telling her about her dreams and new found abilities  with every little detail . She doubted she could forget any. “How weird… Incomplete memories, dreams of a baby, powers you never had before…” Iza walked around her, pondering on what could be the reason behind everything. Until an idea hit her. “Perhaps it’s a sealing spell? Sounds like it.” Brooke blinked repeatedly</p><p>“Excuse me — did you just say a sealing spell?”</p><p>“I did.” The brunette nodded, briefly disappearing in the dark and returning soon afterwards with a giant book in her hands. She opened it and looked for a specific page. “Sealing spells are used to block memories, and in some cases, magic.” Iza narrowed her eyes. “What did you tell me about abilities you didn’t know you had…?”</p><p>Brooke dismissed it with a wave of her hand.</p><p>“Oh, it can’t be because of a sealing spell. My magic never ‘woke up’ because I didn’t grow up with my biological clan, nor learned how to practice it,” she explained, but by the oneiric witch’s gaze, she knew something was wrong.</p><p>“Honey… your magic should’ve appeared in small doses by the time you were five, the time when they start to bloom. At twenty one it’s supposed to be fully developed. It doesn’t matter where you grew up, who raised you, or even if you’re a bastard; you can’t be a witch without magic.”</p><p>The tension in the room was thick; Brooke was suddenly realizing all the weirdness surrounding her life, and how foggy her memories previous her fifth birthday were.</p><p>Why didn’t she have magic? Why couldn’t she grasp on the memories before the day of her fifth birthday? Why was she having all these dreams? And why did a clan from faraway lands wanted her dead?</p><p>Brooke looked up to Iza, who was reaching for her hand in silence.</p><p>“Do you wanna know who you really are, Brooke?” She questioned in a serious tone.</p><p>“I do,” she replied, taking Iza’s hand.</p><p>For the first time the blonde felt confident making a decision that could change her life forever.</p><p>*</p><p>“Would you tell Brooke to stop being a bitch and visit us, too?” Monique jokingly questioned, looking through Yvie’s basket. “I have months’ worth of gossip to tell her, and the juiciest one involves a certain vampire from that clan of hers,” she commented, toying with a rabbit paw.</p><p>“Spill it, then,” Monét replied, fixing her gaze on Monique.</p><p>“What on Earth are you talking about? What gossip?” Yvie inquired, snatching the paw off her hand.</p><p>Yvie was just buying elements she was missing for potions at the Black Magic Market when she came across Monique and Monét. They talked for a bit, and when Monique asked, like she always did, if she knew anything about Brooke, Yvie told them almost everything that happened lately — she purposefully left out the foreigner witch part. She didn’t want to involve them in something possibly dangerous.</p><p>Monique licked her lips and positioned herself between Monét and Yvie, standing close to a stand where Yvie was looking for some more ingredients.</p><p>“The word on the street is that Rose visited a witch outside the city for a love potion to give to Frank,” Monique said, and her friends gasped in surprise. “But hey, I’m not a witch and I can’t be certain that someone has a love spell, but I know someone who does,” she sing-sang, softly kicking Yvie with her elbow.</p><p>Monique was a nymph of chaos, made to disturb the peace at all costs; no wonder she loved gossip so much.</p><p>Monét cocked a brow in Monique’s direction.</p><p>“And how do you know that?” She inquired.</p><p>The nymph just showed her a smile with perfect white teeth.</p><p>“I just <em>know</em>. And I’m just commenting this gossip with my good friend Yvie to know if there’s a way she can confirm or deny such thing,” she justified, and soon their eyes were on Yvie. “So…?”</p><p>Yvie chewed on her lip. She was a curse witch; she cursed people, casted spells, and did all kinds of potions, but this…</p><p>“There’s gotta be something in my book, I think.”</p><p>*</p><p>It was a fact widely known that Scarlet Envy didn’t like what she couldn’t control. Being the only heiress to the Matriarch position she was used to have things her way, so when she found out she had to plan her dear cousin’s wedding along with Vanessa, she knew she’d go insane trying to share the leadership with her.</p><p>She loved her friend, but God she couldn’t stand that foghorn voice shouting orders when that was <em>her</em> job. Besides, they still had to have a talk about Vanessa’s Hostess.</p><p>Right off the bat, Scarlet didn’t like her. Not only because she was friends with an Oddly — that happened to be an unfortunate coincidence — but because she could just feel in her bones this witch would cause lots of problems. She’d felt it when she blatantly disobeyed direct orders from her master.</p><p>When Scarlet said goodbye to Vanessa, who once again she turned down her offer to go Shuga’s bar, the redhead ran off in the direction of her room to look for her best gown. She’d go hunting that night.</p><p>Scarlet left the castle and headed to the nearest portal to the human world. When her hunger reached a point where Shuga’s drinks couldn’t calm it down, she’d go hunting for an easy prey.</p><p>Even though she often visited the human world, not all her visits were for hunting. Sometimes she just wanted to escape her suffocating family. But it didn’t mean she was in any less danger.</p><p>“If I’m lucky I won’t run into a hunter before satisfying myself,” she thought.</p><p>Despite being part of the most powerful clan of vampires, when Scarlet was this hungry she was vulnerable; her senses and abilities were slower, and as lucky as she was, her visits to the human world always ended up with the body of a vampire hunter getting cold in a dark alley.</p><p>She walked through the streets of the Underground with a fast pace, impatient to arrive at the portal. Scarlet thought about the details of the wedding to pass the time, muttering mental notes and whatnot under her breath.</p><p>“<em>Scarlet</em>…”</p><p>The redhead stopped dead in her tracks when she heard a voice whisper her name near her ear. But that couldn’t be; there wasn’t anyone by her side.</p><p>“Perhaps it was just a ghost playing a prank on me,” she concluded, resuming her walk.</p><p>Suddenly, the light coming from the torches went off. The street was dark, the only remaining light coming from the Moon.</p><p>A cold breeze hit her, messing up her hair and making the bottom half of her dress fly in the air.</p><p>“<em>The wedding… It can’t happen</em>…”</p><p>The lights came back on and the breeze went away just like it came, leaving Scarlet baffled and with a mess not only in her hair, but in her mind.</p><p>What had just happened?</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>my tumblr is @chachkisalpaca! come say hi!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Lost And Found, pt. I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>what do you mean last time i updated was april? i'm so sorry, i'm doing the best i can to juggle my multi-chaps. shit is hitting the fan fellas! i hope you enjoy the new chapter :))</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>Sabbath </em>was a popular bridal boutique in the Underground, always filled with customers from all kinds of species. The owner, a two faced demon, was good friends with the Mateos, so when Vanessa asked if she could close the store for Rose’s appointment, she didn’t think twice about it.</p><p>Vanessa thought it was a little early on to be already thinking about the dress, but with Sabbath being the chosen boutique, it was quite reasonable, actually.</p><p>The night they had the appointment, Vanessa discovered how much of a pain in the ass her sister could be.</p><p>“No, no, no! This looks hideous on me!” Rose complained, ripping off a ribbon placed on her chest and throwing it to Asia.</p><p>Asia frowned, looking at Rose from head to toe. There was a noise of balloons  popping, and soon North appeared. She scoffed towards Rose, re-arranging her hair covered in bows and smoothing her skirt.</p><p>“You can dislike it, but don’t rip it off, you absolute skank!” She scolded, throwing the ribbon back to the bride-to-be.</p><p>Vanessa stifled a laugh; the good thing about booking an appointment in Sabbath was that North, being the dark side of the demon, always put the snarky customers in their place and it was fun to watch.</p><p>Her stomach twisted slightly, but she ignored it. They’d go home soon and she’d wake up Brooke real quick to take a bite from her, just like she always did. Vanessa knitted her eyebrows together briefly; now that she thought about it, perhaps that was the reason why Brooke was acting so weird lately.</p><p>Brooke always obeyed without thinking it twice, until that day at Shuga’s bar — ever since then, she’d been acting so unlike her. Skipping meals, rolling her eyes at the smallest provocation, the strange cuts on her hand she’d found once over dinner, looking at Vanessa with disgust when she fed off her. Something was bothering her, but as docile as Brooke was, she’d never tell her and carry what angered her to the grave.</p><p>But besides the sudden change in Brooke’s character, weird things had been happening around her too. Like the cutlery levitating mere inches away from the surface of the table before falling to the ground again, the room freezing when she clenched her fists, and that time Brooke was just standing on the balcony reading a book and dark clouds formed within a second over them after Vanessa mentioned to her she was hungry.</p><p>Something was changing in her, and Vanessa feared it had to do with her magic.</p><p>“Vanessa!” Rose’s voice snapped Vanessa out of her thoughts. She looked up to her sister and saw her head peeking through the curtains of the changing room. “Would you tie my corset, please?”</p><p>She nodded with an absent smile, quickly stepping into the changing room. The dress Rose was wearing was more simple and elegant than the previous one, in the traditional colors in the Underground - red and black.</p><p> “I think he’ll like this one more than the last one,” Rose said. “Well, Frank will like <em>anything</em> I wear, I know that for a fact.” Vanessa smiled a little.</p><p>“Y’know, I never thought Frank was the cheesy guy kinda type. I thought he was more serious and cold,” she commented, cinching her sister.</p><p>“Oh, he <em>was</em>, but he’s changed. I made sure of that.” Rose smiled, a smile that pretended to be innocent, but through the mirror, Vanessa could distinguish an evil undertone.</p><p>*</p><p>“<em>Are you sure about this? You know you won’t be able to get her back</em>.”</p><p>Brooke squinted and took a deep breath. She knew none of this was real, yet it felt like it. Her whole body was trembling, but she tried to remain calm. Iza had warned her it’d happen at any time of the day, at any place. “None of this is real,” she thought, eyes fixated on the illusion playing out before her.</p><p>
  <em>The woman nodded, adjusting her hood, so it covered her face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It’s for the best. She… She won’t be safe by my side.” A sob escaped her lips.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Then so be it.”</em>
</p><p>The memory ended and Brooke’s heart was pounding so fast she feared it’d come out of her chest. That was her mother, she was sure. She had to be quite stupid not to have realized that before. Even when her face wasn’t visible and it was still foggy, Brooke just knew it.</p><p>Brooke looked at both sides of the sidewalk to make sure no one was around and she breathed in deeply, coming out of a dark alley she decided to hide in once the illusion began and she wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t. Brooke speed up her steps; Iza’s shop was just a few streets away, she had to arrive for the witching hour.</p><p>When Iza tried to break off the sealing spell to free her memories and magic at once, she found out it was a seal made by a powerful witch — it had to be broken little by little, and with each crack that appeared, they were closer to completely erasing it. But for that to happen, they had to act in the witching hour, when every witch’s magic was the strongest.</p><p>Brooke reached the shop, and Iza was already waiting for her behind the door. Once she was inside, the oneiric witch locked it and grabbed her hand, directing her to the same room they always used.</p><p>“Did someone see you? Follow you?” Iza asked, as it was their routine. Brooke shook her head. “Good. Now, have you had any new memories since our last session?”</p><p>Brooke pursed her lips, and began telling her of all the small memories she’d acquired back detail by detail; a woman holding a baby while they napped under a tree on a sunny day, a soft lullaby being sang, a man staring at a baby’s crib and saying something unintelligible, and the full memory she had just moments earlier.</p><p>Iza hummed, listening carefully to each word.</p><p>“And what about your magic, has it appeared yet?”</p><p>A smile grew on Brooke’s face when she remembered the progress she’d made regarding her magic — it was small, but everything counted.</p><p>“It did. It usually appears when I feel angry or upset, and I think it’s related to the weather,” she said, remembering the weird sensation she always felt when it appeared. “I mean, one time I was reading on the balcony when my master came up to me and told me she was hungry. I was already upset with her, so she really bothered me with her presence, and before I knew it, there were storm clouds forming over my head,” she recalled, and Iza chewed on her lip.</p><p>“I don’t think there are weather witches, no,” she mumbled, thoughtful. “There are, however, element witches of all kinds. The most common are the ones that dominate the four elements, while the seasonal witches are rather odd,” Iza explained. “Seasonal witches are only born either on the South or North, but never in the Central Underground. It’s highly unlikely you’re a seasonal witch.”</p><p>Brooke sighed, ever since she started to have these sessions with Iza she realized how little knowledge she had of her own kind and the lies she’d been told by the Mateos.</p><p>With each day that passed, she despised the clan that raised her a little more.</p><p>Iza placed a hand on Brooke’s shoulder and offered her the same blue potion as always.</p><p>“But, hey, you know what we have to do to find out, right?” She asked, and with a small smile, Brooke nodded.</p><p>*</p><p>
  <em>“She’s not even five yet and she’s freezing everything already!” Aunt Camelia shouted towards the Matriarch, making Brooke’s whole body tremble.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She didn’t understand what she’d made to make Aunt Camelia so angry; she was just playing with one of her cousins toys, watching the colorful objects turn blue under her touch when Aunt Camelia found her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You have no choice, Mom. You have to take her to Julianne, or else I’ll do it.” Aunt Camelia shot Brooke a deadly glare, and the Matriarch grabbed her granddaughter by the wrist, dragging her out of the room.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>That was the last time Brooke saw Aunt Camelia.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>*</em>
</p><p>“Breathe, Brooke, breathe,” Iza said, rubbing Brooke’s back while she was kneeling down and throwing up a dark liquid. Iza sighed; no one said breaking a seal would be easy, especially when it was as powerful as the one on Brooke.</p><p>*</p><p>
  <em>It was the day before Brooke’s fifth birthday, and the little witch was very excited about it, oblivious to the worried looks the Mateos gave her as she passed by.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She was playing with a ragdoll one of the kids in the castle lent her when the door was opened. The Matriarch was looking at her with glassy eyes and her jaw clenched.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Brooke, put on your good clothes. We’re going to visit someone,” she announced. Brooke nodded, leaving aside the doll.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Where are we going, Mama Cecile?” She wondered, looking for her favorite white dress.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“A friend called Julianne.”</em>
</p><p>*</p><p>“Aunt Camelia…” Brooke muttered, placing her head on Iza’s lap. “Who’s Julianne?” Almost immediately she passed out of exhaustion, and Iza stayed there, rubbing her back and singing her a lullaby so she’d have a good sleep that night.</p><p>*</p><p>Coming back to the Mateo Castle, Brooke felt a special kind of fear.</p><p>Remembering Aunt Camelia had been quite the journey. Once her face was back in her mind, she remembered the hateful glares not only from her, but from most of the Mateos. How most of them treated her as if she was nothing, constantly hissing at her if she came anywhere near.</p><p>Later she’d focused on her ability for <em>freezing</em> things when she was younger. It totally blew her mind, and made her wonder what she was. A water witch, perhaps? Those could freeze water when they wanted, but freezing anything…</p><p>The name “Julianne” resonated in her mind. That had to be the witch that put the sealing spell on her — maybe, if she found her, she’d break it, and then she would be <em>free</em>.</p><p>The thought of freedom made her whole body tremble with anxiety — she’d always tried to convince herself she was her own person, but ever since she became a Hostess, the word “freedom” had vanished from her mind. She belonged to Vanessa, whether she liked it or not, until the day of her death.</p><p>Brooke started hyperventilating in the middle of the street.</p><p>“Until the day of my death,” she repeated, “I’ll be just that. Her property.”</p><p>Brooke threw up again at the thought.</p><p>*</p><p>“Excuse me, ladies,” a strange woman called. Vanessa and Rose turned around, and Vanessa felt as if the woman’s icy eyes were scrutinizing her soul. “Are you Vanessa and Rose Mateo?”</p><p>“Um, yeah, and you are…?” Rose questioned back, slightly annoyed.</p><p>“The name’s not important, but I come in the name of the Matriarch of the Allende Witches. I’ve been told one of you is in possession of a bastard witch.”</p><p>Vanessa cocked a brow; something in this witch gave her a bad vibe.</p><p>“That’d be my Hostess. How’d you know that and what do you want with her?”</p><p>She smiled mysteriously, letting her hood fall, revealing a shiny gold hair that looked almost white.</p><p>“I have my ways of finding out things,” she replied with simplicity. “She means troubles to my family, and I’m here to negotiate with you, Miss, the possibility of selling her to me.”</p><p>A cold sweat ran down Vanessa’s back with each word she spoke, not believing for a second what she was hearing. Was this woman talking about her Brooke? The Brooke that was given away barely as a one year old? The one that was scared of spiders even as an adult? That Brooke?</p><p>“I’m sorry, lady,” Rose spoke, sensing how her sister had paralyzed, “but Brooke is part of the Mateo family, and she has my sister’s possession mark. She’s not going anywhere, not for any amount of money.” She folded her arms, giving the witch a daring look.</p><p>Sometimes Vanessa loved her little sister.</p><p>The woman’s expression darkened and her icy eyes turned into a deeper shade of blue.</p><p>“You’ll regret your decision.” And in the blink of an eye, the witch was gone.</p><p>Vanessa didn’t waste any other second and began running home, her heart beating so fast she feared it’d come out of her chest.</p><p>She had to make sure Brooke was safe.</p><p>She didn’t stop to greet her family nor looked back when they called her name, asking what was wrong.</p><p>When she reached the West Side, Vanessa began to see blurry and hyperventilate when she couldn’t feel Brooke, nor her possession mark tingling.</p><p>Brooke was gone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>find me on tumblr as @dollalpaca now! yes, i rebranded after 3 years. you'll get used to it</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Lost And Found, pt. II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>look i'm not gonna make any more promises about updating soon because we all know how that goes. just know i dont plan on abandoning this one.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>If anyone would’ve told Brooke that one day she’ll escape from the Mateos, perhaps she’d laugh so hard the tears would come running down her face and her belly would hurt.</p><p>She’d arrived at Yvie’s place uninvited, after having vomited in the middle of the street due to the nerves. Yvie was frantically throwing things into her cauldron when she busted through the door.</p><p>“For fuck’s sake, Brooke! You know I like having you around, but can’t you knock on the door like every normal creature?” Yvie inquired, putting down the bottle she was planning on throwing at the intruder.</p><p>Brooke massaged her temples, trying to find a coherent way to explain Yvie her gut feeling.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, and I’m sorry, okay? But I have something to tell you — something <em>big</em>.”</p><p>Yvie knitted her brows in a frown.</p><p>“Does it have to do with Iza and your sessions?” She inquired. Brooke sighed.</p><p>“You bet.”</p><p>Brooke proceeded to tell Yvie all about her last session and the memories detail by detail, the utter confusion and fear she felt upon remembering aunt Camelia, her voice cracking and stuttering more and more as she spoke.</p><p>“And- And I just have this feeling that something- something bad might happen if I continue living at the Mateo’s,” she explained. “There are things they’re hiding from me, Yvie. For example, the fact that I can’t remember anything before my fifth birthday, because, apparently, a witch called Julianne put a sealing spell on me.”</p><p>“Woah, woah, pause,” Yvie cut her off, “A witch called Julianne? That rings a bell; I think I’ve heard of her.” Brooke’s eyes lit up, coming closer to Yvie.</p><p>“You did?” She asked, looking at Yvie with a hopeful gaze.</p><p>Yvie tried to scratch all the way to the back of her brain to remember where she had heard that name. Usually, witches in their part of the Underground knew each other all too well. There weren’t many outside the ones that belonged to the Oddly Clan, Brooke being one of them, and you could bet your left foot that every witch in Central Underground knew who she was, despite not being a conventional witch.</p><p>She suddenly remembered her conversation with Monique and Monét the other day, about the love spell Rose put on Frank, according to the rumours.</p><p>
  <em>“Don’t you think it’s easier to go investigate for yourself and find the witch that, allegedly, put a spell on Frank?” Yvie had inquired, reading one of her many books, trying to find something that’d help corroborate Monique’s suspicions. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Monique simply walked around Yvie’s shop, looking carefully at each item while Monét helped Yvie out.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“They say she’s not really a fan of guests, but has worked with the Mateos her whole life. I think they’re the only ones she’s willing to attend to,” Monique commented, picking up the jar with a frozen heart to examine it closer.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yvie cocked a brow, looking up at Monique.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What’s this witch name again?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Monique put the jar down and tried to remember the name other chaos nymphs whispered in the streets.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Julianne, I think it was.”</em>
</p><p>Monique’s words echoed through Yvie’s mind. She had to be the witch that put a spell on Brooke, it couldn’t be a coincidence.</p><p>When she told her friend about this, Brooke immediately began trembling with emotion, and made it her priority to find her and demand she break the spell, but Yvie stopped her in her tracks.</p><p>“Hold up, Blondie. Let’s say you find her by some miracle, and then what? You just heard what I said. She doesn’t help people outside the Mateo family. Though you belong to a Mateo, you’re not <em>exactly</em> one,” Yvie explained, Brooke’s smile fainting as she spoke.</p><p>Yvie was right, what assured her that Julianne would be willing to help her? Moreover, undo a spell casted years ago. It just didn’t make sense.</p><p>She’d have to go back to the Mateo Castle, allow Vanessa to feed off her like a parasite and chug down all the resentment she had for her family, until Iza could finally manage to break the seal and she had her magic back, thus being able to run away.</p><p>That is, if she ever managed to learn how to use her magic.</p><p>Brooke sat down on the floor with a defeated look, staring blankly at something in the room. Yvie sighed and sat near her, taking her hand and softly stroking it.</p><p>“Hey, listen, I don’t want you to go back to them as much as you, but I really don’t know what you can do or where you can go. Central Underground is a small place; they’d find you wherever you went with that possession mark of yours.” Yvie traced the mark with her index finger, and Brooke sighed softly.</p><p>“I know, I know. But, for a moment, I had the smallest bit of hope that I could be… Free.” Brooke thought the word sounded strange coming from her mouth. She shrugged. “I guess I’ll have to continue living with the Mateos until Iza manages to break the seal.” The idea made her feel sick in her stomach, and Yvie could tell by the way she spit the words.</p><p>Yvie clicked her tongue, trying to come up with a plan to help Brooke out. Then, she remembered that if the engagement of Rose and Frank went on and they said “I do”, she wouldn’t be able to help her anymore. Nobody knew when the wedding would be, but everyone anticipated that it’d be soon; word on the street was that Rose paid Asia O’Hara obscene amounts of gold to have the bridal boutique all to herself, meaning the date was getting closer.</p><p>Therefore, once they tied the knot, Brooke would be forbidden from hanging out with Yvie — she just knew Scarlet Envy would personally account for that.</p><p>Suddenly, an idea broke in Yvie’s mind: if they could prove Rose had put a spell on Frank, then the engagement would be broken, and Yvie would have the time to elaborate a plan to help her friend.</p><p>“It’s brilliant!” Yvie exclaimed as she rose from the floor. Brooke cocked a brow in her direction.</p><p>“What’s brilliant?” She inquired, not sure what was going on.</p><p>Yvie took the book she’d been previously studying and read a passage out loud to Brooke.</p><p>“To prove if a creature is cursed with a love spell, a belonging of said creature must be thrown into a mixture of red tulips scent and cherub tears. If the object turns into a strong pink tone, then, without a doubt, they’re under a love spell,” Yvie read as Brooke stood up. “There’s a rumour that says Rose put a love spell on Frank, and if I can get my hands on anything that comes from him, I’ll be able to break it.”</p><p>Brooke narrowed her eyes. “And that’s relevant to me because…?” Yvie rolled her eyes.</p><p>Yvie proceeded to explain Brooke her idea, and her eyes were lit up by the end of it.</p><p>“Yvie, that <em>is</em> brilliant! I could kiss you right now.” Brooke jumped into Yvie’s arms and she gave a small chuckle.</p><p>“I’m fine with a hug, Blondie.”</p><p>***</p><p>The human world could be the vilest of worlds, and Scarlet had proven it time after time. Despite that, it had some of Scarlet’s favorite things, such as the beautiful sunset she was admiring, lying on the so-called grass in an almost empty park.</p><p>She closed her eyes and took a deep breath — in the Underground, they didn’t have sunsets like this. Though technically they did have a sun; it was artificial made by powerful witches at the beginning of time itself to mitigate the darkness they lived in when the moon was gone.</p><p>So when she could escape from Vanessa and the wedding preparations, she always went to that park to contemplate the sunset. Lately, most of the planning had been taken over by Vanessa, as Scarlet drifted more and more apart from her responsibilities. When she inquired about it, Scarlet just said she’d been given notice by the Matriarch herself that she’d pass the leadership of the clan to her shortly after the wedding, and was preparing herself for it.</p><p>It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either.</p><p>Ever since that weird encounter she had with a ghost —well, she believed it was a ghost— that was obviously pranking her, weird stuff had been going on. Like, weirder even by the Underground standards — a bunch of wedding invitations went missing and some others were found ripped apart, messages that said “it’s a mistake” were written with blood all over the walls of the venue they’ve chosen for the reception, the maid of honor along the best man said they had nightmares involving the wedding; they both had a vivid dream of a red wedding.</p><p>Scarlet refused to believe it meant anything bad would happen if they went on with it, but she started to believe when she had the same dream, and felt the fire in her flesh, smelled the smoke in her room, and saw bruises on her body when she woke up.</p><p>Then, she noticed some changes in Frank’s behaviour whenever Rose was around — it wasn’t because he was suddenly romantic and couldn’t leave her side even if he tried. No. She sensed something was off with the way he looked at her; it was a dark, gloomy look compared with the rest of his body language. Almost as if-</p><p>“He hated her…” Scarlet mumbled, just when the sun set down and the moon was starting to appear. “But he loves Rose, they’re going to get married; it doesn’t make sense.” She frowned, trying to shrug it off as a misunderstanding.</p><p>Still, something didn’t quite click yet. Scarlet sighed, hoping it was nothing and all of this paranoia stayed as that.</p><p>Scarlet came back to the Underground shortly after that, hurrying, so she wouldn’t bump into a hunter. She’d drew someone’s body last night, they’d sure be on the lookout for any creature of the night.</p><p>She made it home without any incidents, and she almost sighed in relief when she stepped foot in her home.</p><p>Keyword being “almost.”</p><p>Right away she saw Vanessa frantically calling for her hostess, looking as if she’d have an emotional breakdown at any moment.</p><p>“Vanessa!” Scarlet called, jogging to meet her up. Vanessa stopped for a moment, looking at her friend with glassy eyes. “What happened?”</p><p>“Brooke’s gone.” Scarlet squinted.</p><p>“What do you mean she’s gone?”</p><p>“She’s gone!” Vanessa exclaimed, “We came back from Rose’s appointment and she wasn’t anywhere in the castle! I’ve been looking for her but she’s not-” She was interrupted by her possession mark shining with intensity.</p><p>Vanessa began calling for Brooke again, trying to follow the light. Until it was immensely bright and it vanished within a second, meaning she was right in front of Brooke. But they were standing before “Yvie Oddly’s Potions and Curses.”</p><p>While a sigh of relief escaped Vanessa’s lips as she banged the door, Scarlet was seeing red.</p><p>“That witch,” she thought, “she has to be taken care of as soon as Frank and Rose are wed.”</p><p>The door was opened by Yvie Oddly, and Vanessa began shouting where the fuck was her Brooke and what she done with her. Yvie indicated her to enter, that she was in the resting room. Vanessa didn’t need to be told twice before rushing inside, but when Scarlet tried to do so, Yvie stepped in her way.</p><p>“I don’t recall inviting you,” Yvie said, eyeing Scarlet from head to toe.</p><p>Scarlet could swear the vein in her forehead was palpitating, but she tried to keep her cool.</p><p>She smiled at Yvie, showing her fangs.</p><p>“I don’t recall Brooke being allowed to be friends with an Oddly,” she bit back. Yvie cocked a brow.</p><p>“I know you’re desperate to control the Mateos just like your grandma controlled the Michaels, but I have bad news for you: no wedding has happened yet, and if what they say about your cousin is true…” Yvie shrugged, Scarlet frowned, feeling a heat take all over her body. “Well, there might not be a wedding <em>at all</em>.”</p><p>Scarlet hissed, ready to keep her promise and snap Yvie’s neck open with her fangs, when a loud noise was heard inside the shop. Yvie rushed to see what happened, and Scarlet took advantage of the situation and swiftly entered the place.</p><p>They surely didn’t expect what they saw.</p><p>Brooke was standing in the middle of the room with a blank expression, her hands were covered in ice just like part of the room, and Vanessa was against a wall, surrounded by ice spikes.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>changed my tumblr url! i'm now dollalpaca :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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